Harassment at working place to be punished in Moldova

Chisinau, 26 May /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament today approved, in the first reading, a draft on amendment of several normative acts, which provides for combating the phenomenon of harassment at the working place.  

The draft’s goal is to adjust the national legislation to the international standards, especially the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).  

The document proposes the completion of the Contravention Code with provisions on employees’ responsibility for the non-observance of the obligation to undertake measures of prevention, examination and intervention, if acts of sexual harassment at the working place are found out.  

Also, the employers who will obstruct the process of denouncing cases of sexual harassment at the working place will be able to be punished contraventionally. Thus, the fine for private people might vary between 3,000 and 4,200 lei (about 200 euros) and the one for legal entities – between 10,500 and 13,500 lei. At the same time, in case of officials, the contravention punishment might reach 10,500 lei.   

The State Labour Inspectorate will verify the existence of measures of prevention and combating the phenomenon of discrimination, sexual harassment, victimization at the working place, as well as their observance in the institutions’ internal regulations.     

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